YuGiOh Returns to Pooh Corner
by Aura Black Chan
Summary: A look back at the Yu-Gi-Oh characters when they were little kids. Inspired by the Kenny Loggins album, 'Return to Pooh Corner'.


> This fic was inspired by the songs on the Kenny Loggins album 'Return to Pooh Corner', hence the title. I own none of the songs used, characters portrayed, or the incomparable Mr. Loggins. I hope you enjoy this!
> 
> Duke's Mother and the Pretty Ponies
> 
> He'd cried all day. As soon as theyd come home, he'd run up to his room, slammed the door shut, and flung himself on his bed. There was only one question left on his mind now.
> 
> Why?
> 
> Why, after month's of treatment's, hard work, and prayer's was his mother going to die anyway? It wasn't fair!
> 
> She was a good, kind, beautiful person. She'd never done anything wrong, or hurt anyone, so why was she _still_ going to die?!?
> 
> "Why? Why her? It's...NOT....FAIR!!!!!"
> 
> A long silence followed this last, loud declaration. It's not as if he expected an answer, really. The doctors couldn't tell them why one person getting the same treatment as his mother was getting better and she wasn't, so why bother with the question now?
> 
> "Duke? Sweetie?"
> 
> Duke Devlin, only child of Norman and Angela Devlin, pulled himself further under his blankets. He couldn't look at anyone right now, not even his mom.
> 
> "We missed you at dinner honey."
> 
> "Hmph, you mean he actually showed up for once?" When his mother's illness had first been diagnosed, his father had broken down into tears. He'd been scared at first, because he didn't know that dad's cried. Later he figured his dad had just been scared that mom would die just like he was, and he'd be okay the next morning. He'd tell them they'd all face this together, and mom would be okay.
> 
> Except the next morning dad wasn't at breakfast, nor did they see him all day. When he finally showed up at dinner that night, he'd told them that he was going to start at Clown College the following week. This was not something they'd expected to hear from someone who'd always been so practical. Over the next few week's it was obvious that his father either couldn't, or wouldn't face the reality of his wife's illness. When he wasn't 'studying', he was doing projects around the house, like tiling the upstairs bathroom, or repainting the office. They rarely saw him, even at meals sometimes going days without catching so much as a glimpse of him.
> 
> After two weeks of this, Duke decided to take charge of the situation. He would go with his mom to her treatments, make sure the house was clean, learn how to make dinner, even find ways of keeping her spirits up. At eight years old, he'd really believed that he could save his mother with nothing more than a son's devotion, and love. He'd never once allowed himself to think about what would happen if she didn't get better. Not until the doctor had told the two of them that morning that she wouldn't. It was as if the world had stopped for him.
> 
> "Duke?"
> 
> He hadn't known she'd come into his room until she'd sat down next to him on his bed. Ever so gently, she tugged the blankets out of his strong grasp and pulled them down to his waist. For a long time they just sat there looking at each other, not knowing what to say. Finally, his mother started to speak.
> 
> "Duke-"
> 
> "Why?"
> 
> "Why what honey?"
> 
> "Why you? Why not that old lady we always saw there? She's had lot's of kid's and grand kid's and she's gonna be okay now. Why you and not her?"
> 
> His mother heaved a long, deep sigh before she continued.
> 
> "I don't know sweetie. The treatments are a gamble, no matter how much they've improved over the years. It's a dice roll, no matter how you look at it."
> 
> "It's not fair."
> 
> "I know. I don't-don't want to leave you and your father anymore than you want me to go, but it can't be helped anymore."
> 
> Duke sat there quietly, his head bowed in defeat. There were no more tears left in him. Only emptiness, and sorrow.
> 
> Right then his mother put her arms around him, holding him in a tight embrace.
> 
> "Hey."
> 
> "Hey." He whispered back.
> 
> They sat there like that in silence for what felt like forever. It seemed to Duke as if time had stopped just for them, if only for a short while.
> 
> "Say, when was the last time we went to the park and just hung out? Just the two of us?"
> 
> He didn't answer right away. She wondered if he'd gone to sleep, and was starting to pull his tear stained clothes off of him when he answered in a sleepy voice.
> 
> "It was that time we went to the stables. Y'know, when they were taking the horses and ponies in for the winter?"
> 
> She smiled at him. "I think I remember you got very attached to the pony you helped groom that day. You even tried to convince them to let you take it home with you for the winter."
> 
> "Hey, I could have done it." Duke was suddenly more awake now and smiling a bit. "We used to go there all the time. I knew how to take care of them."
> 
> "Yes, but where would we have kept a pony?" His mother asked with a small laugh.
> 
> "The garage. It's not like we ever use the car all _that_ much."
> 
> Then she started to laugh long and deep, as if she'd never heard anything so funny and wonderful in her life.
> 
> "How about tomorrow you and I go to the park and ride the ponies for a few hours. We could put together a picnic?"
> 
> Duke looked up into his mother's loving, still vibrant face, and smiled.
> 
> "Yeah, that'd be great. Only, can we spend the whole day there?"
> 
> "Alright, if you like. Why don't you change into your pj's now? It's really late."
> 
> Obediently, as if refusing might cause her more pain, Duke quickly changed for bed. When he looked up he noticed she was looking at a picture of all of them together at the park. He was sitting up on a dappled grey pony with his parents on either side of him. That picture was taken hardly more than a year ago, but it seemed like longer somehow.
> 
> When his mother turned and smiled at him, he got into bed, waiting for her to kiss him goodnight. As she approached, he noticed she was holding the picture. Looking at it now, he didn't recognize any of the people there. The only one who hadn't changed was the pony.
> 
> "I want you to promise me something Duke."
> 
> "Anything." Whatever she wanted, she was gonna get.
> 
> "Not now, because I know how much you're hurting, but one day, when you're much older, I want you to try to forgive your father."
> 
> Duke looked into the face of the only person he loved with shock reflected in his bright, green eyes. Why did she have to ask him that? Anything but that!
> 
> "Mom, after everything that he did and didn't do you want me to forgive him?"
> 
> "Yes, but only after you've had a few years to think about how you feel."
> 
> The scowl on his face would have been priceless any other time.
> 
> "Mom, I already know how I feel. He's a nut bar, and I hate him."
> 
> "Yes, I know dear, but he's still your father. Everyone reacts differently to bad news. When I told him month's ago how sick I was it was like part of him died. Everything he's done since is his way of denying there's anything wrong, or different in our lives."
> 
> Duke crossed his arms and looked down into his lap. Why did it have to be this? Couldn't he just go on hating his dad for the rest of his life? It'd be a lot easier. As if reading his thought's, his mother turned his face up to look at her.
> 
> "I know it would be easier for you to just keep hating him, but I'm not asking you to do this for him. I want you to forgive him for yourself."
> 
> "What do you mean?"
> 
> "It's easy to hold on to hatred and bitterness, but it takes real strength and courage to let them go and forgive someone. You can't really live your life when you're carrying so much hurt around inside your heart. Duke, when you're older, when you're ready to, I want you to find a way to try to forgive your father. Can you promise me that?"
> 
> He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She hadn't said when he had to forgive him, just that she wanted him to try.
> 
> "Alright Mom, I'll try to. But not for a really long time." He'd said this last part quickly under his breath. She'd rewarded him with a small smile.
> 
> "That's all I ask sweetie. I just don't want you to just give up, not ever. Okay?"
> 
> "Okay."
> 
> They were both quiet for a bit after that. The picture still lay in her hands; a picture of strangers.
> 
> "Do you remember that song you used to ask me to sing to you every night?"
> 
> "Yeah, the pony one."
> 
> "That's right, All the Pretty Little Ponies." She remembered. "It's your favorite one, right?"
> 
> "Yeah."
> 
> She put the picture aside, held him close, and began to sing in a soft, gentle voice.
> 
> "Hush a bye
> 
> Don't you cry
> 
> Go to sleep my little baby
> 
> When you wake
> 
> You shall have
> 
> All the pretty little ponies"
> 
> Duke slowly closed his eyes letting the soft melody wash over him, every word gently nudging him closer to sleep.
> 
> "In your bed
> 
> Momma said
> 
> Baby's riding off to dreamland
> 
> One by one
> 
> They've begun
> 
> Dance and prance for little baby
> 
> Blacks and bays, dapples and greys
> 
> Running in the night
> 
> When you wake
> 
> You shall have
> 
> All the pretty little ponies"
> 
> As he was drifting closer and closer to sleep, Duke knew he couldn't stay here with his dad. Besides how badly he'd let both of them down, there wasn't one corner of their house that didn't remind him of his mom. Maybe he could go live with mom's sister and her family? They were the only other people who'd cared about how sick she was anyway. He'd talk to mom about it tomorrow.
> 
> "Can you see the little ponies
> 
> Dance before your eyes
> 
> All the pretty little ponies
> 
> Will be there when you arise"
> 
> Too late to fight it, Duke decided that he didn't really want to sleep. He wanted to stay up all night with her and talk, play board games, watch movies together, anything! He couldn't let tonight end too soon! What if when he woke up he found out that he wouldn't have another chance to do any of those things with her again, much less tell her he loved her?
> 
> Wait, it wasn't too late. He could still do that at least.
> 
> With the little bit of energy he had left, Duke reached up to gently touch his mother's cheek.
> 
> "I love you Mom."
> 
> For a moment she stopped singing. Then she held him a bit tighter.
> 
> "I love you too Duke."
> 
> For a moment or two, there was only silence between them. Soon though, she resumed the lullaby in an impossibly soft voice.
> 
> "Hush a bye
> 
> Don't you cry
> 
> Go to sleep my little baby
> 
> When you wake
> 
> You shall have
> 
> All the pretty little ponies"
> 
> He was asleep. Gently, Angela lay him back on his pillow and tucked him in. After one last good-night kiss, she left him to his dreams, whatever they might be tonight.
> 
> Duke Devlin finished up his last bit of paper work for the day with a sense of both relief and satisfaction. His work was done, summer vacation had started, and the weekend stretched out ahead of him! He'd closed his gaming shop two hours ago and was more than ready to head home!
> 
> While he was putting receipts and invoices into their folders, he kept looking at the picture he kept on his desk. It was the one he'd had in his room before his mom died.
> 
> Sometime's he wondered why he kept this picture on his desk. Just thinking about his dad was enough to make him start grinding his teeth! Besides, he had plenty of pictures of him and his mother together without his father cluttering up things. Then he'd remember the promise he'd made her.
> 
> Sighing, he propped his head up on the heals of his hands, reminding himself, yet again, why he kept it there; to of course remind himself of that promise he'd made her. His relatives had worried about it for a bit, thinking he might be torturing himself needlessly. He'd told them it was his favorite picture of her, his father just happened to be there too. They'd let it go after awhile.
> 
> "You made her a promise, Duke. It'd be a shame if you gave up now."
> 
> "Who're you talking to?"
> 
> He jumped a mile when he heard someone else's voice behind him. Who else would be in here besides him? He'd sent all his help home over an hour ago!
> 
> Gasping for breath, he turned and then slowly smiled at his small visitor.
> 
> "Angie! I've told you not to do that!"
> 
> His youngest cousin smiled at him, impishly. "It was fun! Besides, dad's been shouting for you for almost ten minutes. D'you want to go home, or not?"
> 
> Looking at his watch, Duke saw that she was right. Well, technically anyway. He'd asked his uncle to come get him two hours after he'd closed the shop, so of course when he didn't come out right away, he'd sent in the little heart-stopper.
> 
> "Yeah, I'm all set. Let's get going."
> 
> "Pfft, finally!"
> 
> As she turned to leave his office, he suddenly reached down, grabbed her up from behind, and placed her up on his shoulders.
> 
> "Wheee!"
> 
> Duke smiled. Seven year olds were a lot of fun.
> 
> "Hey, do you want to go to the park tomorrow?"
> 
> "Huh?"
> 
> "I was just thinking maybe you and me could hang out there for a bit. Y'know, take a picnic, run around.....maybe ride the ponies."
> 
> "Ooooh, yes! Yes, please! Yes!"
> 
> Smiling up at her, he gave her foot a gentle squeeze.
> 
> "Great. I'll make sure it's okay with your dad, then we'll figure out what to do for lunch tomorrow."
> 
> "Pizza!" She cried.
> 
> "Pizza? For a picnic?"
> 
> "Yeah! Pizza and chips, and macaroni, and soda, and-"
> 
> "How much of that are you going to eat, or are you planing on bringing the third infantry with us?"
> 
> She continued with her list of suggestions, not paying attention to his groan of complaint that it was a lot for two people. As he headed towards the front doors, he looked back at his office once, remembering the picture on his desk and the promise he'd made.
> 
> One day he'd figure out a way to forgive his dad. He would keep his promise. Right now though, he had a date with Angie and the ponies to plan.
> 
> "..and marshmallows, and chocolate and graham crackers...."
> 
> "...and Pepto Bismal." Duke quietly added with a small laugh.
> 
> Okay, there's the first chapter. For the record, I know very little about Duke. What I am sure of is that his mother died when he was still a little kid, and his father is a 'demented clown', as Red put it. I was pretty much winging it the rest of the way.
> 
> So what did you all think? Should I do another chapter? Please review!


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